Congress vows swift investigation of flap

“How do we stop the use of powerful parts of the bureaucracy from becoming a political tool?” Schweikert told POLITICO.

He said the solution to preventing such targeting may be to increase the transparency of the process, allowing groups to follow their application through the system, know who is reviewing them and follow up with any problems.

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“An open and sunshine approach is the best regulator,” Schweikert said. “The IRS now needs much more transparency.”

Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman and ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, respectively, issued a joint statement saying they will hold hearings on the IRS revelations.

The subcommittee was already examining whether the IRS was enforcing rules related to tax-exempt nonprofits and had planned a June hearing.

“We will continue to work on a bipartisan basis to ensure the integrity of our political process and of enforcement efforts,” the pair said in a statement.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) praised Baucus for calling hearings.

“We cannot have the federal government, with all its enormous power, attacking people and organizations who might hold a differing political or policy opinion from those in power,” Johnson said.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who was elected with tea party backing, said Americans of all political backgrounds are echoing the call for investigations.

“Concerns regarding this shameful abuse of power transcend partisan differences,” he said in a statement. “This should not be dismissed as just another conflict between left and right. It is a conflict between the federal government and the American people.”

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) called for those responsible for the targeting to be fired.

“The actions of the IRS are unacceptable and un-American. Government agencies using their bureaucratic muscle to target Americans for their political beliefs cannot be tolerated,” he said in a statement. “There must be a congressional investigation to determine how this happened and to prevent this from ever happening again.”

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) called the targeting by the IRS “deeply troubling.”

“This was an outrageous abuse of power that goes against some of our nation’s founding principles,” she said in a statement. “The IRS cannot be in the business of singling out organizations based on their political beliefs, and the president should act quickly and decisively in holding those responsible for this abuse accountable.”

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) echoed the calls for hearings.

“These appalling actions by the IRS are completely unacceptable,” he said in a statement. “We need a quick but thorough investigation, and those who are found to have been responsible for this betrayal of the public trust should be fired.”